July 16, 2019 – State and county officials were on hand to dedicate a 486-acre addition to the Delaware State Forest in Dingman Township, Pike County. Used as Boy Scout camp from the 1950s until the 1990s, the Rock Hill property off Route 739 contains an 18-acre natural lake. DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry acquired the site in September of 2013. From left, are: DCNR Deputy Secretary John Norveck, Pike County Commissioners Steve Guccini, Ron Schmalzle and Matt Osterberg, Sen. Lisa Baker, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Carol Comando, board chair for Pike County’s Scenic Rural Character Preservation Committee, Rep. Mike Peifer, Jessica Yoder from the Pike County Planning Office and District Forester Tim Dugan.
July 8, 2019 - During a bill signing ceremony in the governor’s reception room, Gov. Wolf thanked Sen. Lisa Baker and Judy Schwank for their legislative efforts to combat sexual assaults on college campuses. The legislation signed into law, part of the 2019-20 budget, included language from Sen. Baker’s It’s On Us bill mandating all Pennsylvania colleges and universities set up an online, anonymous reporting system to report sexual assaults on campus.
June 21, 2019 - Recognizing the tremendous contributions Mary Clare Mullen, center, has made to meeting the needs of victims through crisis intervention, education programs, and advocacy following 39 years with the Victims Resource Center in Wilkes-Barre. Also pictured is Janet MacKay, executive director of the Victims Resource Center.
June 18, 2019 - Shelby Carr, a Dallas High School graduate who is poised to attend King’s College where she will study political science and law, was in Harrisburg to serve as a guest shadow. She is the daughter of Steve and Tracey Carr. Her parents, and her brother Steven, joined her during her visit to the Capitol.
June 18, 2019 – Delaware Valley High School Principal Brian Blaum, seated, and Lou DeLauro and Nicole Consentino, two of his assistant principals, traveled to Harrisburg to meet with Sen. Baker and discuss education issues.
June 18, 2019 - Some of the participants in the annual Keystone Boys State program met with Sen. Lisa Baker to discuss government. Pictured from left: John Gordon, Broomall; Brandon Wentovich, Mayfield; Ezra Tetreault, Lake Ariel; Gary Geinitz, Waymart; Sen. Baker; Leonidas Kehagias, Damascus; James Bianchi, Moscow; Ryan Salladino, Media; and Legion Mentor Tim French, Palmyra Township, Pike County. The Pennsylvania American Legion-run Keystone Boys State program, is a week-long educational endeavor that hopes to develop leadership and pride in American citizenship in its participants and to arouse a keen interest in the detailed study of government in them.
June 11, 2019 - Sen. Baker’s intern at the Capitol this summer is Ashley Beener, a graduate of Waynesburg University. The Milford Township, Somerset County native is pursuing her law degree at Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
June 5, 2019 - Sen. Lisa Baker and Rep. Mike Peifer presented the national championship duo from Wallenpaupack Area High School with citations for their achievement in automotive technology. From left, Peifer, automotive technology teacher Dr. Mark Watson, Cory Prisco, Nick Hamer and Baker.
June 4, 2019 - Tunkhannock Area High School junior Sabine Moran spent the day in Harrisburg serving as a guest Senate page and shadowed Sen. Baker. Her parents, Mark and Melissa Moran, of Monroe Township, Wyoming County, joined Baker and Sabine for a photo on the Senate floor.
June 4, 2019 – Along with Sen. John Yudichak, Sen. Baker met with members of the Pennsylvania County Corrections Association, including a few from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, to discuss legislation to increase safety for corrections workers.
June 3, 2019 - Anthony Plumley, the 2019 Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education’s (A.B.A.T.E.) Senator Clarence Bell Memorial Scholarship recipient, along with his mother Lisa Plumley and stepfather Rick Maynard. Plumley, of Shohola, was at the capitol for an the (A.B.A.T.E.) Motorcyclists Rights Rally, and was congratulated by Sen. Baker.
May 28, 2019 - The new electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Honesdale has been installed and state and borough officials were on hand to mark the occasion. From left, David Islas, Lisa Glover, Stephen Moulton, Jack Barnett, Sen. Baker, Rep. Jonathan Fritz, James Jennings, Jim Brennan and Mike Augello. The borough was the first in Wayne County to take advantage of a state rebate program that paid for $10,000 of the $13,600 project.
May 16, 2019 - Sens. Lisa Baker and John Yudichak, along with Rep. Mike Carroll, spent the afternoon discussing infrastructure, jobs and the economy with participants in the Borton-Lawson Leadership Development Institute, which cultivates employees for future opportunities at the Plains Township firm.
May 7, 2019 – Wallenpaupack Area High School juniors Seth Brown and Anthony Ioppolo visited Harrisburg and served as guest Senate pages and job shadowed Sen. Baker for the day. Accompanying them were R. Jay Starnes, the district’s director of curriculum, and Colleen Edwards, the school’s career coordinator. While in the capitol, they also met with Reps. Jonathan Fritz and Mike Peifer.
May 7, 2019 – Members of the Pennsylvania Camps Assocation were in Harrisburg to advocate for their members and to be recognized during Senate session as Sen. Baker introduced a resolution marking May as Summer Camps Month in the state. Pictured, from left, are: Rep. Mike Peifer, Mark Major, Mark Zides, Rep. Jonathan Fritz, Sen. Lisa Baker, Lily Stoltz, Sen. Mario Scavello, Matt Stoltz, Bruce Lipton, Esther Katz and Matt Miller. The paddle the legislators received says it’s for keeping camps afloat.
May 7, 2019 – Sen. Baker met with the staff from the Victims’ Intervention Program of Wayne and Pike counties prior to their legislative rally at the Capitol with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
May 2, 2019 – Sen. Baker spent some time with Ned Lang, left, and other members of the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens at the Lookout Fire Station in Wayne County discussing responsible stewardship of our natural resources and legislative efforts to protect landowner rights. Rep. Jon Fritz and Wayne County Commissioners Brian Smith and Joe Adams were on hand.
April 30, 2019 – Members of the Dallas High School Student Council visited the Capitol. They took a tour and were able to visit the Senate floor where they met with Sen. Baker.
April 30, 2019 – Caroline Williams, a resident of Kunkletown, Monroe County, served as a guest Senate page and job shadowed Sen. Baker. Caroline met the senator at the NEPA Women’s Conference last year and she expressed an interest in public service and community affairs and asked if she would be able to experience a day in the life of a senator. She has a Master's degree in Education and is an adjunct professor at Luzerne County Community College.
April 30, 2019 - Russell Keeler, of Kingston, met with Sen. Baker and offered his input on issues important to cancer patients and their families during American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Pennsylvania Advocacy Day at the Capitol.
April 30, 2019 - Megan Ustynoski, Marcy Stair, Baylee Roeder, Nadia Gentilesco, Rebecca Zink and Molly Peterson, nursing students at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, met with Sen. Baker in her Harrisburg office and the senator told them she is glad they decided to follow their passion for helping others and are working to make a difference in health care. The students are all from Luzerne and Pike counties.
April 29, 2019 - Aaron Keller, 21, of Dorrance Township, brought the gold and silver medals he earned earlier this year at the Special Olympics World Games held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to Harrisburg. Sen. Baker welcomed him to the Capitol and introduced the Luzerne County Community College student during a Senate session.
April 29, 2019 - Joseph Strauch, a Lackawanna Trail School Board member, met with Sen. Baker at the Capitol. Strauch, of Factoryville, was in Harrisburg as part of the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s legislative advocacy day.
April 29, 2019 – Tracey E. Vitchers, executive director of It’s On Us, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania senior Adrianna Branin, who was honored earlier this year for helping a victim of an assault near the IUP campus last year, met with Sen. Baker to discuss the It’s On Us initiative and what is being done to fight sexual assault on college campuses.
April 12, 2019 - Exchanging information and ideas, and sharing what’s occurring at the state level at Wilkes University’s 2019 Pain & Addiction Summit held at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The topic was Patients Over Party: Crossing the Aisle to Combat the Opioid Crisis Panel Discussion with Elected Officials and Sen. Baker and Reps. Mike Carroll and Eddie Day Pashinski participated in the forum.
April 10, 2019 - College students Meghan Schoereck and Sarah Kistner, representing Sen. Baker’s alma mater Shippensburg University, met with the senator during Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education Advocacy Day at the Capitol.
April 9, 2019 – Students and staff from Luzerne County Community College visited with legislators including Sen. Baker as part of Pennsylvania Community College Lobby Day at the Capitol. The students demonstrated educational excellence and showcased their workforce-readiness skills.
April 8, 2019 - A group of prosecutors visited the Senate on April 8 as part of their legislative outreach efforts with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. They met with Sen. Lisa Baker, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to discuss pertinent issues. From left, Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin, Sen. Baker, Luzerne County District Attorney Stephanie Salavantis, and Michael Piecuch, the Snyder County District Attorney.
March 27, 2019 - Veronica Miller served as a guest Senate page and shadowed Sen. Baker for the day. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and decided to take a year off between high school and college to complete chemotherapy treatments and concentrate on recovery. She is planning to attend Harrisburg Area Community College in the fall to pursue a nursing degree.
March 27, 2019 – Sen. Baker met with several local members of the PA Farm Bureau who were in Harrisburg for the annual Farm Bureau conference. The farmers included, from left, Bob Rutledge, with the Wayne/Pike Farm Bureau, Joe Decker from Susquehanna County Farm Bureau, Sen. Baker, and Kim and Jim Barbour, also from Susquehanna County.
March 26, 2019 - Nurses and students representing the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists met with Sen. Baker as part of their 2019 Legislative Action Day in Harrisburg.
March 26, 2019 - Joining members of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for some coffee and conversation at their 2019 legislative breakfast. The senator thanked them for promoting school bus safety.
March 25, 2019 – Misericordia University Professor Luke Williams’ Political Science class spent some time with Sen. Baker on the Senate floor during their trip to Harrisburg. Pictured, front row, from left, are: Jourdaine Newhart, Hop Bottom; Gardyney Deshommes, Blandon; Professor Williams; Sen. Baker; Alexandra Zielinski, Staten Island, N.Y.; Hunter Glidewell, Benton; and Lauren Robbins, Pittston. Back row, from left, are: Kristopher Rosencrans, Shavertown; Christopher Sabol, Shavertown; Brett Stage, Dalton; Alexander Frear, Factoryville; Frank Wojtash, Plains Township; and Alexander Zelna, Falls.
March 25, 2019 – Sen. Baker met with Dr. Dave Evans and Dr. Gail Evans, from Evans Eye Care in Dallas, along with Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University students Mackenzie Biggers and Fernando Aquilar during the PA Optometric Association’s advocacy day at the capitol.
March 24, 2019 – Sen. Baker, Rep. Aaron Kaufer and others helped cut the ribbon marking the grand opening of the Sidney and Pauline Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston.
March 23, 2019 – Sen. Baker spoke at the Endless Mountains Empowerment Summit held at Elk Lake Junior/Senior High School in Springville. She told those gathered that successful women, holding their own and making their mark, is not a recent phenomenon. As we seek to empower women today, we should recognize the women who have been important pioneers during our American experience.
March 18, 2019 – For the first time in her tenure, Sen. Baker was asked to serve as the presiding officer of the Senate.
March 14, 2019 - Rep. Mike Peifer, Christopher Garavaglia, Sen. Lisa Baker, Joshua Kalin, President of the Tafton Fire Co. Gary Shepard, Tafton Dive Team Captain Richard Groo, Jr. and Nick Spinelli, a Tafton Dive Team lieutenant, stand on the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack. Kalin and Garavaglia were being honored by the legislators and dive team for their roles in six lake rescues on Feb. 2.
March 12, 2019 – Sen. Baker spent some time speaking to the students in Carly Ellman's Social Welfare Policy & Services Class at Misericordia University.
February 22, 2019 – Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Back Mountain Police Association. Sen. Baker, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, Reps. Karen Boback and Aaron Kaufer and Frank Mazza from U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s office were all on hand to present proclamations and offer their gratitude.
February 18, 2019 – Sen. Baker and Rep. Jon Fritz joined Wayne County Commissioners Brian Smith and Joe Adams at the annual Wayne County Ag Day event at the Honesdale High School gymnasium.
February 5, 2019 – Sen. Baker and Sen. Kim Ward take a quick selfie from the floor of the House after the governor’s budget address.
February 5, 2019 – Sen. Baker met with several members of the Crime Victims Alliance of Pennsylvania in her Harrisburg office to discuss several issues and initiatives. She met with Julie Dugery and Deanna Weaver, co-chairs of the alliance’s Legislative and Policy Committee, Carol Lavery, past chair of alliance, and Karen Hinkle, current chair of the alliance.
February 4, 2019 - Several cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation nurses and specialists, each of whom serves on the board of the Tri-State Society for Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, a multi-disciplinary professional association that serves Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, were in Harrisburg to meet with legislators to discuss the importance of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Pictured on the Senate floor, from left, are: Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19; Sen. Judy Ward, R-30; Vicki Krebs, from Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg; Ruth Akers, from Bryn Mawr Hospital/Main Line Health in Newtown Square; Denise Sheffield, from J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital in Huntingdon; Nadine Greco, from Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale; Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20; and Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23.
January 30, 2019 – Along with Sen. Christine Tartaglione, Sen. Baker wore red at the Capitol to raise awareness of preventing heart disease and strokes for women.
January 30, 2019 - Cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat, but nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented. Sen. Baker and her female Senate colleagues are standing together with the American Heart Association for Wear Red Day to help raise awareness and prevent heart disease and stroke.
January 27, 2019 – Sen. Baker helped Bea Pritchard celebrate her 100th birthday along with Bea’s daughter Judy Loeffler and the congregation at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Dallas.
January 23, 2019 - Sen. Baker marked Maternal Health Awareness Day by joining The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pennsylvania Chapter President Dr. Lynne Coslett-Charlton and Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. CEO Bette Saxton at an event in Wilkes-Barre. Sen. Baker presented the resolution she sponsored designating the day across Pennsylvania.
January 19, 2019 - Sen. Baker and Rep. Karen Boback were on hand to wish Lake Silkworth Volunteer Fire Department President Don Kivler a very happy 90th birthday and to recognize his five decades of active service to his community. The fire company is based in Lehman Township, Luzerne County.
January 15, 2019 – Attending the governor’s inauguration ceremony at the Capitol, along with Sens. Mario Scavello, Mike Folmer and Sharif Street.
January 10, 2019 – Sen. Baker joined state Reps. Jonathan Fritz and Mike Peifer and Wayne County Commissioners Joe Adams, Brian Smith and Wendell Kay to honor retiring Wayne County Human Services Administrator Andrea Whyte during a ceremony in Honesdale. Whyte, of Palmyra Township, Wayne County, retires after 45 years of employment with the county.
January 9, 2019 – Members of the Forest City Regional High School FBLA conducted an informative tour for Sen. Baker and Rep. Jonathan Fritz and showed off the renovations made at their school. New technology and expanded classrooms offer better opportunities for learning. And Johnson College is working as a partner to bring technical and workforce training to students and adult learners in this part of Susquehanna, Wayne and Lackawanna counties.
January 8, 2019 – Sen. Baker was invited to the Luzerne County Courthouse by Judge Jennifer Rogers to be a guest speaker for the Law & Government Explorer Group. The students, ranging from freshman in high school to freshman in college, are all interested in careers in law or government.
January 3, 2019 – Awaiting the Senate swearing-in ceremony to begin, Sen. Baker takes a moment to share her desk with Cora and Iva Kukosky of Lehman Township, who came down to Harrisburg to celebrate the senator starting her fourth term in office.
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